By Aaron Humes: This morning, the Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) made a visit to the Sapodilla Cayes, an area currently at the center of an International Court of Justice (ICJ) case. The BTV is urging Belizeans to become more informed about the importance of this region, stressing its value to the nation’s heritage.
While en route, BTV personnel observed a partially submerged bottle in the water. Upon inspection, they found what appeared to be a Guatemalan gillnet illegally set in Belizean waters. The net, nearly 400 feet long, was retrieved and destroyed by BTV.
The gillnet was located approximately four miles west of Hunting Caye, an area that hosts both a Belize Coast Guard base and a ranger station. According to unconfirmed reports received by BTV, enforcement agencies may have scaled back their patrols to avoid provoking Guatemalans while the ICJ case is ongoing this week.
The Cayes are claimed by both Guatemala and Honduras under the basis of inheritance of Spanish sovereignty not challenged by Great Britain. Arguments on Guatemala’s intention to intervene in the Belize-Honduras case will finish on Wednesday.
The post BTV recover illegal gillnet in area off Sapodilla Cayes appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Aaron Humes: This morning, the Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) made a visit to the Sapodilla Cayes, an area currently at the center of an International Court of Justice (ICJ) case. The BTV is urging Belizeans to become more informed about the importance of this region, stressing its value to the nation’s heritage. While en
The post BTV recover illegal gillnet in area off Sapodilla Cayes appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
